Memorial High School Mustangs

Memorial slated as #1 in Texas Tennis Coaches Association 6A Preseason Ranks

Head Coach Budd Booth, Assistant Coach Brian Mandell and Assistant Coach Carol Andrews are excited for this season and believe many victories are ahead. 

“It’s always a pleasure to get a new group of incoming and returning players,” said Booth. “This year we have a lot of experience and depth in our lineup. We are looking forward to a fun and successful season!”

Looking to lead the Mustangs are the seniors. Senior Chase Sholz won the regional doubles tournament last spring and is ready to compete for more titles this year. Seniors Tara Ahmadi, Paige Pesek and Sofia Mazzucato are at the helm for more than just winning matches as these three have an important role in mentoring the younger athletes on the team. 

Not to be underestimated, the Mustang underclassmen are hoping to keep the momentum going. Sophomore Kat Lowy is already stepping up and filling the shoes of the seniors that graduated last year. Egor Morozov and Nate Raney are looking to improve upon the successes they’ve had over the past two years. Newcomers Bardo Bucknell, Britton Buckingham, Huntley Buckingham, Alejandro Ventura and Emilio Ventura are eager to make their mark on this team and should be fun to watch this season. 

“Our season is in its early stages, but our team is continuing to put the necessary work needed on the court to have a special season,” said Mandell. “As a staff, we feel that this team is poised for an extraordinary season.”

The Mustangs plan to take it one match at a time and believe that if they perform at the level they are capable of, they will be right where they need to be in October. 

See the full schedule at rankone.com and follow Mustang Tennis at @MemorialTennis1 on Twitter.

Northbrook High School Raiders

Raider tennis team proving to be diligent, eager and ready to play

This season has already proven to be promising for the Raiders. At the top of the schedule, the team already won an impressive matchup versus a strong Cy-Park High and had a great showing versus Elsik High. 

Keep an eye out for returning juniors Max Lozada and Daniel Martinez who are solid on the court. Senior Dalia Nambo and freshman Natalie Troung will be playing girls doubles this season and have already formed a unique bond of senior experience and freshman excitement. The varsity team also has a bright new group of players including, junior Luis Arreola, senior Vincent Le and junior Brenda Bulnes. 

“This year, the team is very young,” said Luper. “We only have four seniors on board, so most players are just starting to bloom. I’m extremely excited to see how they grow throughout the season.”

The Raiders are looking forward to facing off against Cy-Ridge High and in-district rival Spring Woods High. Luper is especially excited to see the level her players rise to when faced with various competitors. 

See the full schedule at rankone.com and follow Raider Tennis at @northbrookhigh on Twitter.

Spring Woods High School Tigers

Tigers looking to earn every victory through consistent practice and thoughtful teamwork

The Tigers have started off the season with a 2-2 record with wins versus in-district rival Northbrook High and Waller High. 

“Our team as a whole is very driven and dedicated to improving,” said Head Coach Misty Germer. “The student athletes have tremendous work ethic and they are truly motivated to become better players.”

Currently Diana Quevedo and Valeska Suarez are 4-1 as a doubles team and Germer expects that they will continue to have a lot of success throughout district play. Germer also noted that boys standout Leonel Enrique Pivaral has experienced a lot of success playing singles matches. He is undefeated with a 4-0 record and has persevered through some highly competitive matches. 

“The whole team has worked hard all summer and are showing outstanding growth daily,” praised Germer. “They have a great bond and work so well together.”

The team is proud of their early season showing versus 2021 playoff contender Cy-Lakes High. Though Spring Woods didn’t win the whole match, it was close and they earned several individual victories. In upcoming district play, the Tigers are looking forward to the Cy-Creek High and Cy-Ridge High matchups which have always been close in score and full of quality play.

See the full schedule at rankone.com and follow Tiger Tennis at @AthleticsSwhs on Twitter.

Stratford High School Spartans

#15 state-ranked Spartans are looking to capitalize on the talent of program veterans and underclassmen 

Following a narrow varsity victory over Round Rock High, the Texas Tennis Coaches Association preseason rankings locked Stratford in at #15 in the state and #5 in the region!

After graduating a good amount of players after the 2021-22 season, the Spartans are relying heavily on underclassmen to perform. 

“Despite their youth, we have tons of depth on the girls and boys sides,” said Head Coach Nicholas Butler. “I am looking forward to seeing how the underclassmen improve.”

Players to watch are Mircea Tatulescu and Anna Thielemann, as they are playing line one for the Spartans this season. Also keep an eye out for newcomers Erin Bui and Thoman Thielemann who are already making an impact. 

Butler’s goal for the team is to advance past the area round and into the regional tournament. If the Spartans do so, it will be the first time since the team began playing 6A competition that the team goes that far into postseason play. 

Matchups to tune into will be versus Woodlands High and College Park High, both of which were ranked in the 2021-22 top ten teams in Texas and remain slated high in 2022-23 preseason rankings. Butler believes that these matches will showcase the Spartans quality play and hold a good chance of winning. 

See the full schedule at rankone.com and follow Spartan Tennis at @TennisStratford on Twitter.